NEW MARVEL #1's

WOLVERINES #1

I suppose Marvel saw and liked the sales that DC had for their weekly series started last year, Batman Eternal. So Marvel starts their own weekly series about...well...what is it about? Wolverine is dead (or, at least, encased in adamantium and presumed dead). The new Weapon-X project created a few new super-dudes that inhabit this book along with a few other heroes and villains like Sabretooth and Mystique and Lady Deathstrike. So far I'm not really sure where this book is going or what it's ultimately going to be about. I guess it would've helped if I had read the mini-series that linked this book to last Fall's Death of Wolverine series. Either way, the characters head to the destroyed lab where Wolverine's body is. There's some fisticuffs. I'm confused. Usually writer Charles Soule and artist Nick Bradshaw deliver the goods. But this book is just a mess (it doesn't help that pages 17 and 18 are randomly drawn by someone else). If Marvel wants anyone to pony up four bucks every week for twenty-pages it's gonna have to be fucking awesome. * (out of ****)

 ANT MAN #1

A new Ant Man movie is coming out this summer starring Paul Rudd so here's the new series (Marvel Studios seems to be getting desperate finding new franchises, no?). At least they got red-hot writer Nick Spencer to work his magic (the humorous, amusing tone is very similar to his The Superior Foes of Spider-Man book that recently wrapped up). I have no idea who Ant Man is...but after reading this I realize why he's not Batman famous. He can shrink to the size of an ant. That's it. Yes. That's all folks. But the book is very funny, very fun. It's light, easy, entertaining. The story so far as Scott Lang, aka Ant Man, trying to get a job and be a good dad to his daughter. He skips out on a bodyguard job for Tony Stark so he can move to Miami. It's simplistic but a treat. ***

STAR WARS #1

 They got their best writer to write it, so at least Marvel did something right when they got the Star Wars comic book rights back. Artist John Cassaday does a hell of a job here. Han Solo looks like Harrison Ford, etc. The book looks great and the plot and dialogue are spot-on. The story is entertaining and the climax is nice...but this book is the definition of fan fiction and that's a problem. It just feels like a cheap copy of the original Star Wars films. They also can't change the storyline so it's a little muted in that sense (Darth Vader isn't going to kill Leia or anything as an example). If you want same-old, same-old then I suppose you'll enjoy this. But Jason Aaron is a beast that is best when set loose (see Southern Bastards, Scalped, or Astonishing Spider-Man & Wolverine). He's restrained here, and it shows. **1/2

Best Comic Book of 2014: BATMAN

 There were a ton of good books that came out in 2014. Image Comics had a hell of a year. Saga, Nailbiter, Umbral, The Fade Out, Birthright, Sex Criminals, Southern Bastards, The Walking Dead, Invincible, Stray Bullets: Killers, Wytches, Starlight, and Shutter were all great. Crazy that one independent company could put out so many awesome books. Marvel had Ms. Marvel, The United States of Murder, Inc. and The Superior Foes of Spider-Man which were good. Lumberjanes and The Woods from BOOM! Studios were both terrific. The Bunker from Oni Press was strange, wild, and compelling. And DC had The Wake which was entertaining and bizarre. But the best book of the year was Batman (by writer Scott Snyder and artists Greg Capullo, Danny Miki, and FCO Plascencia). The first half of the year the book was set in the past during "Zero Year" when Batman battled Dr. Death and The Riddler. The second half of the year Batman faced off against The Joker. Super-hero stories are, obviously, pretty pedestrian these days. But when they're done right they're a sight to behold. Snyder and co. presented what we all want to see in comic book: big set-pieces, major arcs, villains trying to take over the world, gorgeous art, cliff-hangers, drama, interesting characters, and thrill-ride action. This book had it all. It was always the book I looked forward to reading the most and was always the one book I couldn't put down. Month after month it surprised and entertained and was exactly the super-hero book we all wanted and needed. It was the book of the year.

Best Issue of 2014: THE UNITED STATES OF MURDER, INC. #1

There were a lot of reasons why this issue stood out. First off it was forty pages for $3.99, a steal in this new era of $3.99 20 page books. Second, it was awesome. Michael Avon Oeming was born to draw gangsters and crime. His art has never looked better. And the story by Bendis is one hell of an idea. What if the mob won? What if they've taken over a big chunk of America and rule while the politicians and cops stay outside their zone? On top of that, there's a killer reveal at the end. Everything just clicked. The book was engrossing and entertaining and dark and wild and interesting and dramatic. How every first issue should be; delivering the goods then making you wishing you could read #2 asap.

Best Writer of 2014: BRIAN K. VAUGHAN "SAGA" "THE PRIVATE EYE"

Saga and The Private Eye were two of the best books this year and Brian K. Vaughan wrote them both. While the dialogue, relationships, and character arcs are relatable, the worlds are sci-fi and fantasy and are hugely creative, wild, insane, and fun. The books are funny and dark, entertaining and kinetic. They're like nothing you've seen before. Fresh, fun, and engaging to read. And Vaughan is a master at pacing, at cliff-hangers, at keeping you interested. Vaughan has always been one of the best writers out there and this year he proved it yet again.

Best Art of 2014: BROOKE ALLEN (ILLUSTRATOR) & MAARTA LAIHO (COLORIST) "LUMBERJANES"

Think of the most colorful, coolest, shockingly fun thing to look and that would describe the art of Lumberjanes, one of the funniest, freshest, and most entertaining books of the year. The art is like a cartoon come to life. From the beautiful, vibrant colors to the action to the facial expressions to the layout; it was the best looking book of the year.

Best Cover of 2014: BATMAN #31

One of the big reasons Batman was the best book of the year was the artwork (Greg Capullo on pencils, Danny Miki on inks, and FCO Plascencia on colors). And this cover goes beyond mere comic book art. It's beautiful. That it also sums up the storyline within perfectly is an added bonus.